Why Paul Ryan Wont Run Again
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announces he will not seek re-election on Wednesday. Ryan, 48, cited wanting to exist around his adolescent children more often. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
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Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Speaker of the Business firm Paul Ryan announces he volition not seek re-ballot on Wednesday. Ryan, 48, cited wanting to be around his adolescent children more often.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Updated at 3:00 p.m. ET
Business firm Speaker Paul Ryan announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election and volition retire in January.
"You all know I did not seek this job," Ryan said, addressing reporters. "I took it reluctantly. ... I have no regrets."
Ryan, 48, cited wanting to be effectually his adolescent children more frequently.
"My kids aren't getting any younger," Ryan said, "and if I stay, they'll just know me as a weekend dad. That's it right there."
Ryan has iii teenage children. He noted that his oldest but turned 16, which was how old Ryan was when his father died.
"I think we have accomplished a heck of a lot," Ryan said, noting that Republicans "did big things."
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Merely the GOP-controlled Congress was just able to pass a signature tax cut legislation. That was something Ryan has been focused on since he entered Congress in 1999. On the other hand, Republicans during his tenure were unable to repeal and supercede the Affordable Care Deed, accelerate the brawl on entitlement reform or cut the deficit. In fact, the deficit has simply gone up. After a high-profile failure last year, Ryan described the Affordable Care Human action, as well known every bit Obamacare, as "the law of the land."
And Congress is non expected to get much, if anything, else done this twelvemonth earlier the midterms.
Republican challenges
Ryan's departure is the highest-profile retirement nevertheless in what has been a record number of Republicans already heading for the exits. Ryan wasn't the but person to announce his retirement on Wednesday: Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., also said he won't run for re-ballot.
That means a total of 39 GOP members are non running for re-ballot — 24 are retiring from public function altogether, while 15 are seeking other positions. Democrats, meanwhile, are facing about half of that number with only 18 of their members not running for re-ballot to the Firm.
In that location have been rumors for some time that Ryan could retire. And his tenure has been something of an uneasy i — fifty-fifty before taking the job. Ryan ran for the postal service after Firm Speaker John Boehner was ousted, under force per unit area from conservatives in his conference.
He was thought to have lilliputian interest in the job, given his position every bit chairman of the powerful Business firm Ways and Means Committee. Only he was roundly seen as the simply person who could get the votes necessary to be elected speaker.
Those tensions didn't entirely go away within his conference, and so along came Donald Trump. Ryan was critical of Trump's demeanor during the 2016 entrada, but he presently swallowed those criticisms when Trump won.
Hoping to push forward on conservative legislation, Ryan worked with the president more than against, simply he was still — on a near-daily basis — quizzed by reporters on the latest Trump tweet or audio-off.
Ryan did not mention Trump in his press conference but a source familiar with the speaker'south conclusion insisted that it had nothing to do with Trump.
Trump tweeted out praise for Ryan on Wednesday, calling him a "truly expert man." He as well touts his "legacy of accomplishment that nobody can question."
From House staffer to Speaker
Ryan grew up in a Cosmic family unit in Janesville, Wis., After his male parent died, he worked a serial of bluish neckband jobs to help support his family unit and himself — from McDonald'south to army camp counselor to an Oscar Mayer salesman who once collection the company'south famed Wienermobile.
Ryan was also a onetime congressional staffer before he rose to the highest position in the House. He interned for Wisconsin GOP Sen. Bob Kasten while he was attending college at Miami University of Ohio and later joined his staff. He had some odd jobs to assist brand ends meet during that fourth dimension too, working equally a waiter at a Capitol Hill watering hole and as a fettle trainer.
The politician who had the greatest influence on Ryan by far was New York Rep. Jack Kemp, the famed tax reform crusader and supply-side economics evangelist. He was a speechwriter for Kemp, would get on to piece of work for the think tank he co-founded, Empower America, and would also follow in his footsteps as an ultimately unsuccessful candidate for vice president. Ryan besides served every bit legislative director for then-Kansas Rep. Sam Brownback.
When Ryan returned to Wisconsin to launch his own political career (running for and winning an open seat in 1998 when he was only 28 years one-time), he adopted many of those same bourgeois fiscal philosophies one time he got to Congress. In add-on to pushing for taxation cuts, Ryan would continue to put an emphasis as well on cutting the deficit and balancing the upkeep via major changes to social programs such equally Medicare and Social Security.
His first major policy push came during the George W. Bush administration when he championed the president'due south plan to create private Social Security accounts. That crusade failed, but Ryan had put begun to brand his mark on the House GOP conference. In 2007, he was named the top Republican on the House Budget Committee and regularly rolled out his own alternative budget frameworks to contrast with President Obama's financial plans.
Once Republicans won back the House in 2010, Ryan became one of the "Young Gun" GOP leaders on the ascent and causeless the chairmanship of the Upkeep Committee. In 2012, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney chose him equally his running mate. After the duo lost, Ryan tried to refocus on working on anti-poverty policies and becoming part of a bipartisan group who wanted clearing reform. In 2015, he would get chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, giving him his biggest platform yet to push through some of his conservative economic ideas. After that year, he would reluctantly succumb to calls for him to run for speaker later on Boehner stepped aside.
Looking alee
Ryan has said he fully expects that this will be his last job in elected politics and the source familiar with the speaker's decision would non hash out Ryan's plans or side by side steps. "He has always believed this [being speaker] is not a long-term thing," said the source.
But getting out of the spotlight now, especially in the Trump era, could assistance Ryan should he change his mind about running for function again down the road. Ryan, the vice presidential candidate with Mitt Romney in 2012, is, after all, only 48.
Being a congressional leader is usually not helpful to a politician's public image. They often get lightning rods for political partisanship. By getting out at present, one theory goes, Ryan could lay depression and potentially run for president at a later date.
Ryan's exit also adds another potential target for Democrats looking to accept over the House this year. The filing deadline to get on the primary ballot in Wisconsin is June 1. The primary is Aug. 14.
Although Ryan won his last re-ballot with 65 pct of the vote, he was facing a potent claiming from Democrat Randy Bryce this year, who had already raised more than than $four.seven million.
"Paul Ryan decided to quit today rather than face Randy Bryce and the voters," said Bryce's communications managing director, Lauren Hitt.
Former Democratic Business firm Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, the current minority leader, called Ryan "an avid advocate for his betoken of view."
She added, "Despite our differences, I commend his steadfast commitment to our state. During his final months, Democrats are hopeful that he joins united states of america to piece of work constructively to accelerate better futures for all Americans."
Kelsey Snell contributed to this story.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2018/04/11/601449190/house-speaker-paul-ryan-will-not-seek-reelection
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